Knee exerciser



Oct. 27, 1936. H. J. CAMPBELL Y 2,058,563

KNEE EXERCISER Filed Deo. 19, 1954 Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,058,563 KNEE ExERoIsEn `Harry J. Campbell, San Francisco, alif. Application Det-amber` 19, 1934,'sena1No. 758,212

3 Claims.

This invention relates to exercising apparatus in general, and has for its principal object an apparatus adapted for exercising the knee to overcome stiffness or inactivity thereof induced by injury, disease, or as an aftermath of surgical work on or about the knee. Other objects of the invention are vto provide such an apparatus which is portable and self-contained, and will provide for operation by the party whose knee is to be exercised, also provide for stretching the leg with any desired degree of tension to bring the knee bones and muscles in correct position, also provide for a reading of the tension produced, also for adjusting the pivotal axis of the apparatus coincident with, or above or below, the axis of the knee joint being exercised, all while the leg is under tension on the apparatus. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and accompanying drawing.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus in place on a supporting table and with a man in place on the apparatus with right leg tensioned.

Fig. 2 is an end View of the apparatus as seen from the right-hand of Fig. 1 but without the man in place.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the shoe showing the hook-attaching ring.

Fig. 4 shows an optional ankle strap.

Briefly described, the invention comprises a jointed frame, part of which rests on a table and is sat upon by the party using the device so that his weight holds it in place, and an outer or swinging section in which one of his legs is tensioned with the knee joint arranged substantially in line with the pivoted joint of the two parts of the frame, so that by swinging the outer part of the frame the knee may be exercised.

In the drawing I represents a common table, 2 the flat base-board-like portion of the frame resting on the table and to which the outer or swinging portion 3 of the frame is pivoted at 4 on a transverse axis extending substantially through the knee joint of a man 5 seated with one leg on the base board. The board portion may, of course, be secured to the table by any desired means or may consist of the top of the table itself, but the users weight on a portable device as shown has been found sumcient to hold the same in place to do all that is required of the apparatus.

The user is held in place and from sliding forward by a wide strap 6 passing over his hips and stomach and secured at the rear of the base board by a suitable hame 1. The base board is wide enough to comfortably seat the thigh of the user and hasa pair of side brackets 8 extending angularly upward and forward for bracing a pair of vertical guides 9 in each of which is a vertically slidable bearing blockl which may be raised or lowered (about 3'inches each way) with respect to the knee joint by means of a vertical screw I I threaded through the bearing blocks and manipulated by a small crank handle I2. Preferably a soft resilient pad I3, such as a fiat rubber water bag filled with hot water, is positioned under the leg just above the knee at the forward rounded end of the base board.

The forward or swinging portion of the frame is made of two long side pieces 3 rmly joined at their outer ends by a cross piece I4 which carries a loose pulley I5 at its inner side under which pulley passes a rope or chain I6 provided with a hook IT for hooking to a ring I8 secured to the sole of the users shoe I9, or to a strap 20 from an ankle band 2| secured tightly about the ankle of a users leg as indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

The rope I6 extends from pulley I5 under a second pulley 2l secured at the outer end of the side member of the swinging frame and extends along the frame and secures to a pulley block 22 over which block and a second pulley block 23 secured to the upper portion of the side member 3 a second rope 25 passes, and to the outer side of which member at a point adjacent pulley block 23 is secured a cleat 24 for securing the free end 25' of the rope after putting on any desired tension by the user by forcibly pulling the same through the power multiplying pulley blocks 22 and 23. To provide the user with an indication of the tension being applied to his leg a spring scale 26 is interposed in the length of rope I6 so that the user can easily read it as he pulls on rope 25. Thus the user may put any desired tension on his leg and secure the rope by winding it back and forth on the cleat 23.

One or both of the side members 3 are extended past pivot 4 to serve as handles 21 whereby the user can work his leg up and down and exercise the knee joint while under tension. The handle or handles may also be locked to the base board 2 as by one or more strap loops 28 or other suitable catches, so as to hold the leg straight out under tension for any desired length of time.

While the leg is held under tension the handles I2 may be adjusted to bring the pivotal axis of the swinging frame from a point coincident with the knee joint to a position above or below the same and to thereby force the knee in the opposite direction respectively as a resultant of the tension.

To relieve the fatigue caused by the outstretched foot I provide a wide canvas belt 29 or band passing under the shoe and secured at opposite ends to the side members 3 of the swinging frame.

The above apparatus works equally well on either leg and enables the user to thoroughly exerciseeither knee with or without. tensionas may be Ydesired, vor may subject the leg to tension without exercising the same, or while under tension ex the knee back and forth by working the screws l I.

My use of the word rope in the appended claims is intended to cover anyjsirnilarY exible device as a belt or chain.

Having thus described myl invention, what I claim is:

1. In a knee exercising apparatus, a seat memaxis of the knee joint, and a swinging lower leg supporting frame pivoted to said bearings and extending downwardly and forwardly from said pivots.

2. In a knee exercising apparatus, a seat member on which a patient may sit with his knee joint at the front edge of the seat, a supporting frame for the lower leg of the patient, means to secure the patient against forward movement on the seat, means Yto apply traction to the lower leg during swinging of said supporting frame, and manually operative means to swing said frame.

3. In a knee exercising apparatus, a seat mem- 'beronfwhich a patient may sit with his knee joint at the forward edge of the seat; a guide bracketat each'side of the forward end of the i 'seat and extending upwardly therefrom, bearings supportedby said brackets for vertical sliding movement; means to adjust the vertical heights of said bearings to aline them with the pivotal axis of the knee joint, means to secure the patient against forward movement on the seat, means to apply traction to the lower leg during swinging of said supporting frame, and manually operative means to swing said frame.

HARRY J. CAMPBELL. 

